T-Mobile + MetroPCS merger finalized

The T-Mobile USA/MetroPCS merger has been finalized. The merged company will be known as T-Mobile US, Inc., and will trade under the stock symbol TMUS. T-Mobile will leverage the spectrum from MetroPCS in order to build out it’s LTE network, which they only began to rollout at the end of March. BusinessWire reports:

An enhanced spectrum position that will provide greater network coverage and deeper 4G LTE coverage in key markets across the country. Combining the two companies’ spectrum provides a path to at least 20+20 MHz of 4G LTE in approximately 90% of the top 25 metro areas in 2014 and beyond.

MetroPCS was a CDMA carrier, so any of their 9 million subscribers that remain with T-Mobile US will need to be transitioned to T-Mobile’s GSM network in order for the carrier to make use of that spectrum, a process that will take some time to complete. The last month has been a busy time for T-Mobile, with the debut of their new, no-contract plans and the launch of the iPhone. T-Mobile hopes that these new plans and this merger will help revitalize the company, make them more competative with larger rivals Verizon and AT&T.